Apparatus for transferring loosely and tightly formed coils of metallic strip



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Aug. 19, 1969 I c. s. SHUMAKER 3,462,094

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING LOOSELY AND TIGHTLY FORMED COILS OF METALLIC STRIP Filed Feb. 6, i968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CHARL ES 5. SHUMA/(EQ BY .4 TTOR/VEV.

United States Patent 3,462,094 APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING LOOSELY AND TIGHTLY FORMED COILS OF METALLIC STRIP Charles Storer Shumaker, Glenshaw, Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 703,368 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 22, 1967, 8,509/ 67 Int. Cl. B21c 47/14 US. Cl. 24279 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coil support ramp arranged between a coil carrying car and an uncoiling apparatus in a manner that the support ramp is adapted to be positioned in an operative position transversely of the path of movement of the coils and in an inoperative position remote from said path. In the operative position, the coil supporting ramp serves as a support for a loosely wound coil, which is allowed to roll over the ramp to the mill. When the ramp is in its operative position, there is provided an opening through which a tightly formed coil supported by a carrying car is brought to the mill.

Background of invention In the operation of a strip processing apparatus such as a rolling mill, the coils of strip brought to the mill may be either tightly wound or loosely wound. A tightly wound coil has been previously formed on a mandrel whereby it is evenly and firmly formed with a clear, well-defined central opening. A loosely wound coil is formed without employing a mandrel and, thus, it is more unevenly formed and has a coil opening that varies greatly.

When the rolling mill is employed to process both types of coils, it is customary to provide a coil box for uncoiling loosely formed coils, whereas for the tightly formed coils, a motorized drag uncoiler is employed. A coil box is a simply constructed machine having rollers for supporting a coil by its outer surface. A drag uncoiler supports a coil solely by a mandrel which permits the coil to be unwound at a high speed without surface damage to the coil that would occur if a coil box were used. In order to allow tightly formed coils to be carried to the uncoiler and loosely formed coils to roll into the coil box there was heretofore provided and arranged in sequence a coil box adjacent to the mill followed by a drag uncoiler. This arrangement allowed tight coils to be carried to the uncoiler by a carrying car, whereas the loose coils can be rolled from the uncoiler to the coil box. This arrangement was not only very expensive and required a separate coil box and drag uncoiling machine, but also required considerable space and was objected to for these reasons.

Other known arrangements utilized a combination uncoiler and coil box which, while conserving the space necessary to install it and reduce the cost, gave only the choice of either carrying the coils all the time or rolling them all the time. The first required the use of unnecessary equipment and manpower, the latter resulted in surface damage of the outer convolution of the coils.

Summary of invention According to the present invention, there is provided in combination with a strip processing apparatus, means to facilitate uncoiling of both loosely and tightly formed coils of metallic strip which are designed to overcome the disadvantages noted previously with respect to known uncoiling arrangements.

According to the present invention, there is provided in combination with a strip processing apparatus adapted to 3,462,094 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 receive metallic strip-like material unwound from both loosely and tightly formed coils, an uncoiling means arranged adjacent to said strip processing apparatus for uncoiling loosely and tightly formed coils into said processing apparatus, a transfer means constructed and arranged to be brought from a position remote from said uncoiling means where it receives both loosely and tightly formed coils to be uncoiled, to a position adjacent to said uncoiling means to transfer a tightly formed coil to said uncoiling means, a supporting means adapted to be positioned between said uncoiling means and said transfer means when in its remote position, means for causing a loosely formed coil to roll over the support means in the direction of said uncoiling means for transfer thereto, means for bringing said support means to an operative position to support a loosely formed coil in its transfer to the uncoiling means and an inoperative position in which said transfer means is then free to transfer a tightly formed coil to said uncoiling means, and means for bringing said transfer means with a tightly formed coil to said uncoiler.

In the preferred form of the present invention there is provided a combination drag-type uncoiler having expansible c-oil supporting mandrels for uncoiling tightly wound coils and a coil box having pairs of coil uncoiling side disks for uncoiling loosely wound coils, the said coil box having at least two coil support rollers, forming an extension of the aforesaid coil support means, said rollers being adapted to be laterally positioned when the coil support means is moved to its inoperative position.

Drawings These features, as well as others, will become more apparent when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing of which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevational view illustrating one form of coil handling equipment built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention shown in connection with a rolling mill, and

FIGURE 2 is a planned view taken along lines IIII of FIGURE 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, there is provided a coil conveyor 10 adapted to transfer coils of metallic strip that have been previously formed as loosely and tightly wound coils. The conveyor 10 constructed in a manner well known in the art, is arranged at the entry end of a rolling mill 11 and laterally displaced therefrom, as shown in FIGURE 2.

Arranged at one side of the conveyor is a beam transfer device 12, having a horizontally extendible coil carrying beam 13 traversable by a piston cylinder assembly 14. The beam transfer device 12 receives coils from the conveyor 10 and transfers them in a horizontal direction to a coil transfer car 15..This car has driven spaced horizontal support rollers 16 and 17 carried on a support frame 18 that is in turn received within a housing 19. A piston cylinder assembly 21 mounted on the housing 19 is connected at its rod end to the support frame 18 for vertically positioning a coil supported by the transfer car. A coil discharge roller 22 is rotatably mounted on one end of C- shaped arms 23 which are pivotally secured at their other ends to the support frame 18. A piston cylinder assembly 24 mounted on the housing 19 has its rod end connected to the arms 23 for displacing a coil from its supported position on the rollers 16 and 17 in a direction toward the rolling mill 11.

The coil car 15 is adapted to be horizontally displaced relative to the mill 11, for which purpose, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, there is provided wheels 25, 26, 27 and 28 rotatably secured to the housing 19 of the coil car.

These wheels are received in spaced, horizontally arranged, channel-like tracks 29 and 31 that extend from the transfer device 12 substantially to the rolling mill 11. A foundation mounted piston cylinder assembly 32 secured to the housing 19 is employed to position the coil car 15 at a coil preparation station A and a coil uncoiling station B.

At station A, the leading end of a coil supported on the car 15 is prepared incident to feeding it into the rolling mill. Essentially this preparation consists of rotating the coil to pay out its leading end in readiness to be inserted into the rolling mill. According to the illustrated embodiment there is provided auxiliary coil rotating means, not shown, which rotate a coil while supported on the coil car 15. The leading end of the coil is then received by a pair of opposed continuous L-shaped guides 33 disposed at the edges of the leading end of the coil. These guides 33 are employed to support the leading end of the coil above the rolling mill pass line until such time as the coil is to be fed into the rolling mill. When this occurs, the guides are retracted from their supporting position and a narrow width upper pinch roll 34 is lowered by a piston cylinder assembly 35 into cooperative relation with a full width lower pinch roll 36 located at the mill pass line. The pinch rolls are then rotated to feed the strip into the rolling mill rolls.

In accordance with the present invention a downwardly inclined coil support ramp 37 is positioned between the coil preparation station A and the uncoiling station B. The ramp 37 consists of a platen 38 constructed to sustain the weight of a coil by providing vertically arranged plates 39 that form an integral part of a base 41 having sliding surfaces 42 formed thereon. As shown in FIGURE 2, the platen 38 of the ramp 37 is so dimensioned that it extends a distance greater than the distance between the channel members 29 and 31, whereby the upper surfaces of the channel members provide support surfaces 42a for the sliding surfaces 42 of the ramp 37. Connected to the ramp is the rod end of a piston cylinder assembly 43 employed to horizontally retract the ramp 37 on members 44 from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to the phantom line position. With reference now to station B, there is provided a combination coil box and drag-type uncoiler. The coil box of the combination uncoiler includes a pair of spacedapart coil engaging disks 45 and 46 which are brought into engagement with the sides of a loosely formed coil by means, not shown, to facilitate uncoiling thereof in accordance with well-known practice. Arranged to the left of the disks, as one views FIGURE 1, are a pair of coil support and cushioning rolls 47 and 48 which are pivotally supported and resiliently positioned by a piston cylinder assembly 49. The coil box in its illustrated form and in accordance with the present invention is provided with a pair of horizontal spaced-apart support rollers 51 and 52 which are rotatably carried by a car 53 having wheels 54 supported in the channel members 29 and 31. Connected to the car is an arm 55 which is, in turn, secured to a bell crank 56 that is actuated by a piston cylinder assembly 57 to effect a repositioning of the car 53 and the support rollers 51 and 52, from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the phantom position. This repositioning of the support rollers 51 and 52 makes possible the quick and eflicient conversion of the combination uncoiling means from a coil box to a drag-type uncoiler.

The drag-type uncoiler which may be of any conventional design well known in the art, includes, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, expansible mandrels 58 and 59. Connected to these mandrels are drive means, not shown, and piston cylinder assemblies 61 and 62. The piston cylinder assemblies are employed to position the mandrels from an inoperative position, shown in FIGURE 2, to an Operative Position wherein they extend through central openings formed in the disks 45 and 46.

A brief description of the operation of the illustrated form of the present invention will now be given, first with respect to handling and uncoiling of loosely wound coils and then with respect to tightly wound coils. The handling and uncoiling of loosely formed coils takes place by conveying such coils by the conveyor 10 from which a coil is transferred to the coil car 15 by the beam transfer device 12. The coil being supported on the rollers 16 and 17 is lowered by the car 15 and then horizontally positioned to the coil preparation station A by operation of the piston cylinder assembly 32. At station A the leading end of the coil is uncoiled and fed in a direction toward the rolling mill where the leading end is supported by the continuous holding shelves 33.

The loosely wound coil is now in readiness for processing in the rolling mill. When processing of this coil is to commence the coil car is lowered, after which the piston cylinder assembly 24 is actuated to displace the coil from the rollers 16 and 17 causing it to roll upon the inclined ramp 37 into the coil box where it is supported by the rolls 51 and 52, as well as the rollers 47 and 48. As the coil passes into the coil box the holding shelves 33 are retracted, as previously mentioned, to allow the strip to drop vertically onto the full width lower pinch roll 36 after which the narrow width upper pinch roll 34 is lowered by the piston cylinder assembly 35 and the pinch rolls are rotated to feed the strip into the rolling mill.

The uncoiling of tightly wound coils in accordance with the present invention is accomplished by transferring such coils from the coil conveyor to station A in the same manner as previously described with respect to loosely wound coils. With a tightly wound coil located at station A or at any convenient time prior thereto the piston cylinder assembly 43 is actuated to retract the coil support ramp 37 to the phantom position shown in FIGURE 2. At the same time the piston cylinder assembly 57 is operated to retract the car 53 and, hence, the rollers 51 and 52 to the position indicated in FIGURE 1 by 53a.

After the car is retracted, the tightly Wound coil with its leading end uncoiled and supported by the shelves 33, is then lowered by the coil car 15 and carried directly from station A into station B where the coil is elevated by the piston cylinder assembly 21 to the proper elevation for the insertion of the expansible mandrels 58 and 59 into the eye of the coil by operation of the piston cylinder assemblies 61 and 62. Following this, the coil car is retracted and positioned in readiness to receive the next coil from the coil transfer device 12. The holding shelves 33 are retracted, as previously described, and the tightly wound coil supported by the mandrels 58 and 59 is uncoiled by rotating the pinch rolls to drive the leading end of the strip into the rolling mill in accordance With wellknown practice.

I claim:

1. In combination with a strip processing apparatus adapted to process strip unwound from both loosely and tightly formed coils,

an uncoiling means arranged adjacent the processing apparatus for uncoiling into said apparatus loosely and tightly formed coils,

a coil transfer means constructed to move between a first position remote from said uncoiling means where loosely and tightly formed coils are stored in a storage station prior to being brought to said uncoiling means and a second position adjacent said uncoiling means where a tightly formed coil is transferred to said uncoiling means,

said coil transfer means including a member for carrying coils,

means for moving said coil transfer means between said two positions,

a coil supporting means arranged between said coil storage station and said uncoiling means,

said coil supporting means being constructed and arranged to have an operative position in line with the uncoiling means and the coil storage station where it furnishes at least a part of a runway for a loosely formed coil and allows such a coil to roll from the storage station to the uncoiling means in which position it blocks the movement of the coil transfer means between said first and second positions, and to have an inoperative position out of line with the uncoiling means and the coil storage station Where it allows the coil transfer means to move between said first and second positions, and

means for moving the coil supporting means between the operative and inoperative positions.

2. In combination with a strip processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said uncoiling means includes a combined drag-type uncoiler and coil box,

said uncoiler having a pair of oppositely arranged expandable coil supporting mandrels for rotatably supporting and uncoiling tightly formed coils, said coil box having a pair of opposite side disks for engaging the opposite sides of a loosely formed coil and having a pair of rotatable rollers for supporting a loosely formed coil.

3. In combination with a strip processing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a pair of rollers form a lower part of said runway and receive loosely formed coils from said coil supporting means,

means for moving said pair of rollers from an operative position between the disks of said coil box to an inoperative position out from between said disks and toward said processing apparatus so that said coil transfer means may transfer a tightly formed coil to a position between the mandrels of said drag-type uncoiler.

4. In combination with a strip processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said coil transfer means includes a pair of driven rollers,

said coil storage station comprising a conveyor arranged at an elevation higher than said runway,

said coil transfer means being movable to a position under said conveyor, and

means for vertically moving said driven rollers between said conveyor and said runway to remove loosely and tightly formed coils from said conveyor for advancement to said apparatus.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,708,078 5/ 1955 Shakely 242-79 2,991,023 7/ 1961 OBrien 242-79 3,231,213 1/ 1966 Shumaker 24278.7

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner 

